How to Plant Asian Jasmine

Asian jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum), or ‘Dwarf Confederate’ jasmine, is a multi-stemmed shrub that produces vine-like, woody branches. This sprawling plant is a true ground cover, as it forms a thick mat over the planting area. Asian jasmine plants are very drought- and cold-tolerant; they can survive dry, arid conditions when grass cannot, and Asian jasmine plants stay green after freezing. This plant does not propagate through seed production, but via planted rooted stem cuttings. Asian jasmine grows well when planted in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Map zones 7 to 10.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Shovel

Garden hoe

Organic materials

Rake

Hand trowel

Asian jasmine bedding plants

Water

Loosen the soil with a shovel in an area with partial sun. Asian jasmine plants tolerate full shade to full sun exposure, but they prefer areas with sun in the morning and shade in the hot afternoon. Do not place the seedlings in an area with soggy soil. This plant will survive droughts, but does poorly in overly wet soil.

Dig the soil 6 inches deep to break up any compaction. Remove weeds, grass and debris from the planting site. Break the soil up with the edge of a garden hoe.

Spread 2 to 3 inches of organic materials, like compost and well rotted manure, over the top of the soil. Mix this into the top 6 inches of the soil and rake it smooth.

Dig a hole with a hand trowel deep enough for the Asian jasmine bedding plant’s root ball. Place the plant in the hole and backfill with soil. Gently firm the soil around the stem to hold the Asian jasmine plant in place.

Plant the rest of your Asian jasmine starts 18 to 36 inches apart. The closer the distance, the quicker the plants will fill in the area. Water the soil around the plants to prevent mud splashing the leaves.

Tips & Warnings

Mow the Asian jasmine once a year when new growth starts in the late winter or early spring. This ground cover does not require frequent mowing, but trimming keeps the plants at the same size. Mowing at 3 to 4 inches high also improves the air circulation around the plants, which allows the Asian jasmine plants to dry faster after watering.

Do not over-water the Asian jasmine plants; too much water causes plant disease. Once the Asian jasmine plants are established, they do not need to be watered — rainfall will provide the plants with all the irrigation they need. Provide water once a month if there has been no rainfall.